cypresshealthregion

The Cypress Health Region is reminding patients they can make appointments at the Primary Health Care Clinic in the Shaunavon Hospital and Care Centre.

"We had our opening day and fourteen people came as soon as we opened up so there's quite a long wait," said Director of Primary Health Care Greg Grant.

"If they make appointments we can see them right away. It also allows our staff to be able to get the charts together and gives our nurse practicioners and physicans a little more time to review charts between patients."

He emphasized that didn't mean they wouldn't be ready to serve walk-ins, but instead it would just be easier for clients when they didn't have to sit and wait.

"You have to wait quite a while when there is 14," Grant said. "Only two people were scheduled in (the afternoon) so we could have easily if people made appointments... there would be no wait."

With the assessment and treatment rooms available for patients and health providers, the Clinic welcomed its first patients on July 15.
 
“We do want to emphasize that the primary health care clinic is not to be used primarily as a walk-in clinic and appointments are encouraged in the future,” stated Grant.
 
Appointments to see the Primary Health Care Clinic’s nurse practitioner or physician – Dr. Barretto (presently) and additional physicians in the near future – can be made by calling 306-297-2644.  When reporting to the Clinic for appointments, all patients are requested to register at the Hospital’s main entrance registration desk.  Appointments to see Dr. Louwrens can continue to be made by contacting the Shaunavon Medical Clinic at (306) 297-2625.
 
Grant added that although the Primary Health Clinic’s location within the Shaunavon Hospital & Care Center is going to provide many overall benefits to the continuum of health care for patients and clients, any urgent or emergent health situations will continue to be seen by the experienced and qualified acute care staff and on-call physician within the facility’s emergency outpatient department. 
 
“If you are facing an emergency health situation, you should call 9-1-1 immediately to access the qualified emergency medical services team and an ambulance, or proceed to the nearest acute facility’s emergency outpatient department for assistance."